Tuesday, May 16, 2017

wolves and rattlesnakes and...coffee...

On Friday night my parents and sister came over to celebrate Mother's Day a little bit early. We had pizza and pina coladas and took a bunch of pictures, including the family trademark "popping" pose.

We got some nice ones but I especially love this mid-laugh one.

On Saturday morning my mom and I left bright and early to go to my brother's house. He and my sister-in-law are expecting another baby in August, so we had lunch with them and did some nursery prep. Babies require a LOT of equipment for being so tiny.

When we got home, my mom and I went to Petsmart and Sam's Club (where I bought minced garlic and organic milk and oh my word this is boring). I'd taken a Bendryl at my brother's because of allergies and when I got home, I laid down on the couch and the next thing I knew I was waking up two hours later from an antihistamine fueled nap. I felt like Rip van Winkle. It was glorious.

On Sunday afternoon I got a bee in my bonnet and decided to clean the back patio. I even dragged the furniture into the yard and hosed off the quarter inch of pollen covering it.

I also spent the day keeping up with my sister's Snapchat. The reason we celebrated Mother's Day on Friday was because Emily left for a school trip on Sunday morning. She is taking a Native American studies class and is spending the next few weeks on a reservation in Minnesota. The drive from Pennsylvania to Minnesota is not a short one, but she Snapchatted along the way and cracked me up.

Emily promised my mom and me that she would keep us posted on her journey, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to get these types of updates.

She's so descriptive. I almost feel like I'm right there with her.

The weather here was gorgeous yesterday, so I decided to go for a walk after dinner. At one point, I was walking through a field and there was not another human as far as the eye could see.

I was listening to my favorite song and the sun was setting and there were deer everywhere and I might have even teared up a little bit because can life get any better than this?

And then I heard a strange noise, it wasn't going away, and within a few seconds I'd convinced myself it was a rattlesnake. The fact that I don't even know if rattlesnakes live in suburban Philadelphia didn't enter my mind at that moment. Instead, I broke into a flat out run, but the snake just followed me more aggressively.

After several awkward strides I realized it was my car keys jingling in my front pocket of my hoodie.

When I got home, I was sitting in the kitchen when I heard a TERRIBLE animal sound come from right outside our back door.

It went on for several seconds but by the time I got the outside light on, I couldn't see anything. My sister texted at just that moment to tell me she had arrived in Minnesota, so I let her know that I heard a wolf or fox outside.

And she said, "A wolf? Really, Laura?"

I could see her eyes rolling from 1400 miles away.

It's probably best that she's the one spending the next few weeks in the great outdoors. I'll be enjoying the outdoors too. Just in the form of drinking coffee on my clean patio.

19 comments:

We hear a lot of weird animal noises here in the north woods. Coyotes all the time, lots of screeching owls, and there was something last summer that kept walking right under the open bedroom window right before sunrise. I did not appreciate hearing the crunching of the gravel under my window when I was home alone with three small children and my husband, the only one who can safely operate a gun Well, other than a BB gun for my seven-year-old) was 500 miles away. It was probably just a raccoon or something, but still, it was freaky.

There are bears right here--our neighbor showed us a photo from her wildlife camera taken in her backyard of a huge one--but thankfully, I've never seen one.

Your back patio is adorable! And I'm cracking up about the rattlesnake! I think I'd have probably done the same thing.... haha. Honestly, though, Ohio isn't THAT flat. The north and west part is kinda flat, but once you get southeast it's nothing but hills and mountains! Promise!

You are totally making me want to clean up my patio now... dang it.I always think every sound outside is a snake... &I too take off running.Heyyy - never doubt it could be a wolf. It was on our news not too long ago that cougars are in the area... in Indiana... what the heck? & now I'm thinking I have to close up our doggie door

Mid-laugh photos are my favorite!Did you ever figure out what animal it was at your house? LOL to the rattlesnake/keys. My wildlife phobia is mountain lions, which is unfortunately a legit possibility in my neighborhood!

Your patio looks great! Your sister sounds just as hilarious as you too, btw! I once freaked myself out with the blind pull hitting the shades thanks to the ac vent. I was living by myself in the middle of nowhere, and at first I thought that someone was scratching the window...so keychains sounding like rattlesnakes makes sense to me!

I'm glad you had a nice weekend celebrating. I always enjoy the mid-laugh more candid looking pics too. How fun your sister shared her journey...too funny about PA and OH. I thought the same thing when we drove through to Dayton before. Beautifully Candid

LOL I can relate to that key jingle story!! I thought for sure I was about to be murdered in my bed the other night because I heard the weirdest breathing/whistling sound....... can't believe my covers won't protect me from this!...... it's my own damn nose whistling/making weird noises. GAH CANNOT ADULT.

Your Mother's Day celebrating/napping/family time/patio cleaning sounds like perfection! That picture you took on your walk is GORGEOUS....And I have to say...I would have been running right alongside of you if I thought there was ANY kind of snake ANYWHERE near me. As for the wolf...I'm not saying I've never been totally freaked out IN MY HOUSE IN THE CITY a time or two. Or five. The theme song of Monk IS my mantra... :)

Glad you made it out alive and that you've got a nice safe and clean patio to chill on. :)